The invention relates to an ammunition, such as a warhead with an explosive charge which comprises a casing for controlled formation of fragments of a certain preferred mass, coverings for formation of explosion formed projectiles of a certain preferred mass, or preformed of a certain preferred mass.
From U.S. Pat. No. 3,491,694 an ammunition is known where, upon detonation, a controlled formation of fragments of a certain preferred mass from the explosive charge casing takes place.
A warhead whose explosive charge comprises a casing with projectile forming coverings is known from German Patent DE-AS No. 11 99 162, among others.
Such warheads with an explosive charge casing are used preferably where, at a given charge caliber, natural or preformed fragments are no longer able to provide the necessary penetration. This is the case for example, when armored tanks or similar hard material targets are to be effectively fought with a charge caliber on the order of 100 mm diameter. It is then possible by variation of the covering geometry to impart to the explosion, formed projectile penetration capacities adequate for the respective target object while assuring an additional residual power in the interior of the target. High penetration capacities, however, also require large surface components of the casing, this being reflected in a low number of projectiles.
Often, however, there occur also numerous targets of comparatively small size and/or low resistance. For effectively fighting them, it would be desirable to have available, instead of a small number of large mass fragments or explosion formed projectiles, a larger number of fragments whose penetration capacity may actually be quite low. To take account of this, it would be necessary, as things now stand, to change the warhead types from case to case. But for logistic reasons such a procedure is usually not possible.